NCAA Basketball: Top 25 team frontcourts for 2022-23 season

7. Kansas Jayhawks

Another decision I made in the backcourt project was not including Gradey Dick then and just using MJ Rice. So that means I can talk about him here, and he’s going to have a massive impact. The High School National Gatorade Player of the Year is a five-star local prospect and an elite offensive player. He can shoot from anywhere on the court at an efficient rate and is a good athlete as well.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Dick leads the Jayhawks in scoring as a freshman on what should be a balanced scoring attack. It could also be Jalen Wilson, who came back for another season after averaging 11.1 ppg and 7.4 rpg. Considering how slow a start he had after getting suspended due to a DUI arrest and coming off the bench for half the year, Wilson bounced back well. The 6’8 forward was in double figures for 9 of the last 12 games, including 15 points in the national title win over North Carolina.

Replacing David McCormack at the center position is five-star freshman Ernest Udeh Jr. He’s a really good rim protector and overall defender but is still raw offensively. There’s also top-50 freshman Zuby Ejiofor, as well as former D-II star Cam Martin. That doesn’t even include KJ Adams and Zach Clemence, two players with potential in the frontcourt but will have to fight for minutes.

There’s plenty of depth and Wilson is a good leading frontcourt player to build off of, alongside Gradey Dick. If Kansas has to lean on the frontcourt for production, they’ll be in good shape.